The sun on Kyrgyzstan’s national flag has 40 rays.
The rays represent the forty tribes or clans traditionally said to have been united by the legendary hero Manas. That symbolism links the sun to Kyrgyz national identity and to the idea of a people joined together under one banner. The flag’s red field is also associated with Manas and with bravery and valor.
At the center of the yellow sun is a stylized tunduk, the crown-like opening of a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. Seen from inside a yurt, the tunduk’s crossed lattice resembles a geometric sunburst. It symbolizes the household, the common homeland, and the unity of the Kyrgyz people.
The flag was adopted on March 3, 1992, shortly after independence from the Soviet Union. In December 2023, Kyrgyzstan changed the appearance of the rays from wavy to straight ones, partly to reduce a perceived resemblance to a sunflower. That redesign did not alter the traditional count: there are still forty rays.